Eight Hibernations

RESERVED FOR ME - This is my piece of Alpine wellness pictured above - if you want to know where then read on amigos. We explore the steamy realms from Alpe di Siusi to Austria's Rockies, find the celeb ski den in Lech, sink into a herb hay bath in Alta Badia, highlight the winner of the best new Spa in Europe, tank up with Team Dr Joseph, Susanne Kaufmann and chillax in our wonderland of hotel sanctuaries from the panoramic perch overlooking Lake Garda to a hideaway reached only by cable car - are you a 'textile' sauna goer, or do you prefer to get your bare bits out?... First, Iain runs a wintry bath and has a moment of Carrie Bradshaw magic...

As the winds blow from the north... and Austrian bubbles

Winter is ready to pounce for us folk up in the northern hemisphere (and if you live in the south - don't even think of sending us any pics of you on the beach). The rituals of digging out the cinnamon sticks (which expired in 2003), cloves, star anise, and good friend ground ginger make their customary outing heading for a cake, which, despite never turning out like the glossy magazine image, I am content just with the scents. 

I like this time of year - I can deliberately go slower, hold back the pace and slumber, even listen to poetry through the headphones - it's my hibernation. Winter is when you can feel happy to slow down - and reading gets my fullest attention as I plough through the books originally intended and opportunely packed for the summer's beach, never managing to get no further than page ten. Currently, I'm engrossed in a book on Indigenous Americans' first steps in Europe in 1519: On Savage Shores -How Indigenous Americans Discovered Europe, by Caroline Dodds Pennock. An absolutely brilliant and fascinating read. 

Long soaks and bathtime are the other practice that permeates Iain's winter timetable. The notion of a hot bath is always appealing, but, in reality, the incredibly expensive free-standing bathtub only gets a rendezvous with my derriere perhaps a couple of times. Last Saturday, home alone, I took the plunge armed with bubbly favourites from Austrian skincare guru Susanne Kaufmann, the London casa is filled with the oiled duft of the Alps, mountain herbs, and spruce. As in most old premises, the water took an eternity to fill the voluminous tub. It was still well worth the wait, and I spent time reading over the newsletters of our hotels (including a tempting offer to hit South Tyrol this Christmas at the fabulous Schgaguler Hotel - see below). Steaming like a little dim sum dumpling, I figuratively spent an hour in the Alps. Which amigos, like the moment in the life of Carrie Bradshaw (Sex and the City), gave the impetus of this week's edit featuring the best spas and wellness hotspots to add to my go-to winter travel lists. I was also thinking of Jon Snow (it's a complicated link - it must be those magical herbal oils) and how Game of Thrones deserves another airing before the year's end.

Here are the perfect alpine spa acts for your bucket list, a dispatch which jumps off the treadmill of busyness on a journey through the moi realms of wellness, escapism and herbal curation. If you are a fidget bum - there are a few with skis on the doorstep too. 

Let's get steaming, and don't eat cake in the bathtub!

Hugs, Peace & Love, 

Iain & Co.

#1

Like swimming on top of the Alps, Miramonti’s rooftop mountain pool is wrapped in ancient volcanic stone and overlooks snow-dusted peaks; the forest spa is enclosed by blackened larch and a nearby onsen steams invitingly.

#2

Another eye-catching swim zone, Amrai Suites’ subterranean spa area includes a lap pool topped with an arched copper roof alongside a multitude of spa pleasures including glacier grotto, floating loungers, copper bath, ice fog, steam bath and herbal fire.

#3

Sink into the vast and unforgettable day beds at Weißes Kreuz that offer easy relaxation and mountain vistas post-massage or after a round of sauna and steam. Lavish and luxurious with a side of prosecco – we totally deserve it! 

#4

We love a hotel spa that takes advantage of its environment – step up Forsthofgut surrounded by the Leogang Mountains. The spa, steamy pools, saunas, onsens and bathing lake are revealed as you delve deeper into the forest. 

#5

Schgaguler’s subterranean spa level contains a Turkish bath, ice room and mud bath; outside soak up Vitamin D on the pinewood sun deck, splash around in the pool or be bubbly in the panoramic Jacuzzi.

#6

Feel those spa vibes with all your senses at Hotel Arlberg where snow, ice, water and heat narrate the Senses Spa. Pairing with Susanne Kaufmann for the in-house spa products shows the calibre of this wellness wonder.

#7

Designed by architect Matteo Thun and set atop a mountain in breath-taking San Vigilio, the pioneering concept was fuelled by nature. The air smells fresh with the scents of larch trees, alpine roses and mountain pines, it’s hard not to get in touch with nature, body and soul. Indulge in some chillaxing in a pamper-filled spa session, or engage with some active mountainside sports – either via vigilius mountain resort's free ‘move and explore programme’ or spend an afternoon, a day, or a week, with a personal trainer all of your own.

#8

To the backdrop of the Dolomites is a secretive spa hideaway where hay baths, honey massages, herbal stamp massages and Team Dr. Joseph & Thalgo line up. This is the Lagaciò Hotel Mountain Residence & La Palsa Spa, located some 1500m above the sea level in St. Kassian/Alta Badia, Italy.